When the Glitter Fades
by OveliaGirlHaditRight
Summary: A Coded fix-it fic, where we get at least a glimmer of a Data Kairi.


Sora noticed right away Kairi wasn't with him—and neither was Riku at first, for that matter—but he tried to force these feelings of anxiousness about the situation down and to focus on the task at hand. Because if he did that, Kairi would surely be okay. Right?

And sure enough, Mickey's words—that had sort of echoed Sora's sentiment there—ended up being true: Destiny Islands was restored… and- and Kairi along with it, Sora could feel.

But Sora kept on keeping on, to help his new (or were they familiar?) friends and to figure some of the mysteries that he himself was curious about.

And Sora did find the answer to some of these things! He found Riku—sort of. He was also a journal, now or something? Honestly, it was beyond Sora and he slept through most of this explanation—and the crazy adventure continued with him by his side now.

But as Sora made many of his dreams come true as he saw world after world, he couldn't help feeling awful—that he and Riku had unwittingly left Kairi behind, when the raft had meant so much to her and she'd wanted to explore, too.

But there was really no time to worry about it; it was just the way it was… and when Riku—no, Data Riku(?) told him the truth—that they were really computer parts, or something, and not the real Sora, Riku, or Kairi at all, Data Sora decided that he never wanted Data Kairi to know this at all; he didn't want her to be possibly sad about it, so in that light… maybe it was good she hadn't come with them. But maybe there was something else he could do for her, to make up for certain broken promises before they were all reset. So that was what he'd true.

Data Sora found his way back to Destiny Islands somehow (after he explained to Data Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy he needed a minute before he continued his goodbyes with them and everything ended) and climbed up the flower bed to Data Kairi's window, like he had so many times in the past (…or thought that he had in the past), and saw Kairi making something out of thalassa shells as she sat crying on her bed.

At once, Data Sora felt horrible; he knew that she was surely crying because of him and Data Riku weren't here…

Or was it possible that a Data Riku _was_ still here? If the Data Riku _he'd_ met was really a journal, did that mean the other Data Riku was still a part of Destiny Island's code?

Honestly, Data Sora had no clue on that matter, but it didn't matter. Data Kairi was sobbing and throwing herself into his arms now, and she was once again the only thing that existed in all the worlds to him.

"Sora, where've you and Riku been?!" the redhead exclaimed, as she searched Data Sora's eyes for an answer he couldn't give her, that he was averting his eyes for. He _despised_ having to be less than truthful with Kairi, and having her see even a shadow of that deceit. "I was worried that the first charm I made to ensure a safe voyage for us wasn't enough… so I began to make three more, and I'm so glad to see that it was enough! Or at least partly so far."

Leave it to Data Kairi to have figured out that he and Data Riku had gone to other worlds, but not because they had chosen to but since they'd been torn from their homes…

Data Sora smiled one of his goofy grins at Data Kairi and put his hands on her shoulders, as he finally put two-and-two together about how the techy parts of him worked so he could fulfill his dream. "You're right about everything, D- Kairi. And I _bet_ that your lucky charms helped Riku and I. _Thank_ you! But I'm so sorry we left you… and since we did leave you and saw other worlds, let me see if I can at least _show_ you them."

And so Data Sora tried to put his memories into Kairi's heart, as his hands moved from his shoulders to her hands…

He wasn't _entirely_ sure this would work, but even as he was what he was he still had his hopes. But They were both computer constructs, right? So surely, they could connect in this way… if Data Sora understood how devices passed information at all.

But even more than all of that, Data Sora believed in hearts now, because of what Mickey had told him… hearts were all connected; and his and Kairi's had always had a connection, so if anyone could see what he was feeling and aiming for now, it was her.

And as _Kairi's_ eyes widened (because who was he kidding? She'd always be just Kairi to him)—and tears of joy slid down her eyes—as her hands held onto him even tighter, Data Sora could almost imagine what she was seeing: the three ducks who would be cute to her, Alice messing with the Queen of Hearts, Hercules, Cloud, and himself finally getting along famously, Genie's silliness, and a castle that Data Sora got the sense that Kairi would _love_.

"Wow, it's beautiful!" Kairi positively beamed. She was beginning to reset now—in a shower of light, and it seemed fitting of her to Sora—but Data Sora couldn't let that happen to him yet, he thought.  
He'd go and find Data Riku so he wouldn't have to be alone in the end, either.

Data Sora stayed with Data Kairi the entire time she seemed to almost disappear into him, and he prayed that the version of them that existed—where Kairi's heart had been within his own—would get their own quest and world someday. They deserved nothing less.


End file.
